Fence



(No Model.)

W. J. JOHNSTON. FENCE.

No. 499,462. Patented June 13, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM J. JOHNSTON, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,462, dated June 13, 1893.

Application iiled February 14, 1893. Serial No. 462,343. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention lrelates to new and useful improvements in fences, of that type known as portable fences.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the device for connecting the panels to the ground sills and to each other, whereby the panel may be arranged at any desired angle to each other, or any panel in the fence may be used as a gate.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of asection of my improved fence. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof a number of panels secured together illustrating the adaptation of the fence in turning corners and the use of a section as a gate. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section through two adjoining posts of my fence and through the ground sill. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of said posts. Fig. 5 is a section at right anglesto Fig. 3 through the ground sill and base of one of the posts.

A is a panel or section of a fence which may be of any desired construction, the construction which I use and preferably show in the drawings consisting of the boards a, the diagonal braces b, the central post c, wires d between the boards, and two end posts B. These end posts have their faces opposite that to which the boards are secured, curved or rounded as shown at C; they are provided at the top with apertures D and at the bottomwith pins E.

F arc ground sills which are provided near the middle with aperture G in which the pin E are adapted to engage. l

H are brace wires extending from the outer ends of the ground sills and connected at their upper ends to the ends ot the brace caps I, which caps are located at such a height above the ground as to engage over the top of the posts, while the pins E of the posts engage'in aperture G of the sills, as shown in Fig. 3.

The parts being thus constructed to set up my fence the operator being provided with a number of panels of the construction described, a number of sills as described, he first sets up one section by engaging the pins E of the posts in the apertures G of the sills and then engages the caps I over the top of the posts, one at each end of the section. This section is secured in position by engaging the pins .I through the caps and into the aperture D in the top of the post. The neXt section may be secured in position in like manner, one sill answering for the complementary ends of the adjoining sections of the fence. It will be observed from this description that each section is pivoted at top and bottom centrally of its end posts, and that therefore each section may be made to assume any desired angle to the adjoining section; for instance as in turning a corner, as shown in Fig. 2; or any section in the fence may be used as a gate by removing the pin J at one end and disengaging the pin G of such post from its engagement with the sill when such section may be turned upon the pivot at the opposite end. It will be seen' that as the two pivots of the complementary posts in which the sills are engaged are upon each side of the middle point of eachsill, in turning the sections or panels at an angle to each other, the sills will be turned correspondingly and thereby assume the proper position to the posts to brace the same. This is illustrated by the sill marked K in Fig. 2 and the sill marked K in the same figure.

The sills I construct with the central cutawayportion e and end bearingblocks f to form the bearing feet. The object of this is to give a bearing for the sills only at the ends which insures a rigid support therefor, while if the sill is the same thickness all the Way across any inequalities in the middle will cause it to bear only at that one point and thereby destroy its stability.

The sills are preferably secured in position by pins L, driven into inclined apertures M near the ends of the sills.

My fence for general farm use presents many advantages, for instance, a farmer having a few sections may secure them together as described and turn them into the rectangular form to use as a sheep pen, for herding cattle, rbc., and such pen may be easily constructed at any point in the field desired, and any panel may be used as a gate. Man;7 other uses are obvious for this construction.

In order to accommodate my fence to hilly or uneven ground I preferably form the apertures G tapering, as shown in Fig. 5, leaving only sufficient space for the pin to enter in the top and gradually Widen toward the bottom across the sill, so that the pin may rock in its bearing to accommodateannular move- WILLIAM J.' JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, N. L. LINDOP. 

